“Life should be chiefly service – the soul is happy only when it finds opportunity for continuous expansion.”  — Paramahansa Yogananda

Service to others is one of the universal laws of happiness. All major religions teach this truth, and for good reason. It is one of the easiest ways to advance along the spiritual path, and what’s more, it unites you with the greater community around you – something we naturally hunger for as human beings. Selflessness nurtures community; selfishness disrupts it. A gesture of kindness connects you with another human being in the most gratifying – and rewarding – way.

Consider what the Dali Lama has to say about it: 

“We are social animals – individual survival depends on the community, so taking care of the community is ultimately about taking care of yourself. The basis of your survival and happiness – you are ignoring it with self-centered, egoistic thinking – all phenomena appears negative. Practice altruism and all phenomena appears positive. We are physiologically and mentally the best in a supportive, nurturing group – these groups can be vulnerable to an individual of selfishness. A group must be able to protect itself from the wolves of selfishness. You must stand firm against injustice – a fierce compassion.”

Selflessness is a Good Form of Selfishness

The Dali Lama says, “Taking care of the community is ultimately about taking care of yourself.” Yogananda teaches the same principle: 

“Giving service is indispensable to receiving service; therefore, to serve others by giving financial, mental, or moral help is to find self-satisfaction. Anything you do for the benefit of your self, either as the soul or the ego, may be called selfishness. Good selfishness, spiritual selfishness, consists of those actions by which the pure Self within you can be realized; it helps you continuously to manifest the perfection of that innate image of Spirit.”

Believe it or not, if you are in a funk, depressed, or consumed by some personal problem, the best thing you can do is find someone else to help. In helping others you will soon forget about your own troubles and free yourself from the nagging voice of your little ego telling you how bad you have it. As you forget yourself in service to others, you will find that without seeking it your own cup of happiness will be full.

Jesus teaches, “Give, and it will be given to you (Luke 6:38).” It is the giver that receives God’s blessing, not the receiver. “The real reason behind the scriptural injunctions to ‘Serve thy fellow men’ and ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself’ is that the law of service to others is to be obeyed by all devotees who would expand the limits of their own self,” says Yogananda.

Cultivating Humility 

Selfless service expresses humility, one of the greatest attributes to have as a human being. Helping others expands your consciousness in several ways. Putting others first opens your heart to the world; overcoming your own physical or mental discomfort allows the true nature of your soul to shine forth, linking you with the benevolent nature of the Ultimate Giver. What a wonderful tool for growth as a human being!

And remember: Don’t set out to be a do-gooder, or brag about your helping others. That is simple vanity and negates everything that you do. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs, “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” when giving charity. Be happy for those you serve, for they enable this connection to God and community, as well as the growth of your own larger Self. Giving of our hearts  is one of the greatest forms of worship we can do.